Over
by Stellar Eclipse
Summary: Leon stood there, stunned, for a long moment, wide blue-grey eyes roving in disbelief over the haggard, blood-stained figure standing before him. CLC.


_Disclaimer: dood, _fan_fiction. Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and the characters and universes therein are the property of Disney and Square Enix. I receive no remuneration for this work; it is a parody and as such utilizes the Fair Use clause of the Copyright Act._

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Leon stood there, stunned, for a long moment, wide blue-grey eyes roving in disbelief over the haggard, blood-stained figure standing before him.

Cloud shifted his weight to one foot uncomfortably, quietly, his relief at finally returning home subdued by the uncertain way Leon was staring.

"You...found him?" Leon finally asked.

The blond nodded slowly, hesitantly, shifting the stiff muscles of his back against the weight of his weapon.

"...It's over?"

Another nod, smaller this time. "May...may I come in...?"

Leon suddenly seemed to remember himself and stepped aside to allow the swordsman entrance, closing the door quietly behind him. He turned around just in time to catch the Buster sword as it began to slide from Cloud's clearly weakened grasp, frowning in concern at the soft, frustrated growl that left the younger man's mouth. He carefully propped the massive blade in the corner by the door before tentatively touching his lover's unarmored shoulder. "...Cloud?"

"I'm...sorry." Cloud slumped his tired body against the wall, and the older man immediately moved to support him, hands settling on his lower back and hip. "I didn't want you to..."

"You didn't trust me," Leon finished softly.

"I did," he protested. "I do, I just..." Cloud sighed and turned his face further away, ashamed, afraid to see the look on Leon's face. He knew he wasn't worthy of the devotion reflected in those deep blue eyes. His gaze instead fell on the reddish-brown scuffs his boots had left inside the entry, then he glanced down at his disheveled self and mumbled apologetically, "Sorry about the mess. I, ah...ran out of potions after a while. Hi-potions, too, and I wasn't going to waste an eli—"

"Shut up," the brunet hissed, his grip on the blond's battered form tightening, both to hold him upright and to reassure himself that yes, Cloud really was here, really was home. Beaten and bloody, but home all the same. "You are _not_ a waste. You're _not_ not worth it, you hear me?" He coughed slightly to hide the unwelcome tightening of his throat, quickly removing a hand from the younger man's back to brush away a single track of wetness slipping down his cheek.

"I'm sorry." Cloud's jaw tightened at the rare, undisguised display of vulnerability, and he closed his eyes. "I should have told you I was going."

Leon allowed his gaze to roam over Cloud's face again, following the trail of his eyes with a barely-there touch of his fingers. The blond's fair skin was far too pale; he was far too thin, and bruises and cuts of different ages were apparent even upon first glance. He sighed quietly, wondering what more lay beneath the worn clothing. This hadn't happened overnight; it probably wouldn't be fixed overnight. He gently lifted Cloud's chin with his knuckles. "Let's get you cleaned up, okay?"

Faded blue-green eyes opened once more, meeting and finally able to hold his lover's accepting gaze. He hummed quietly in acquiescence, leaning just a little into the soothing touch, and the sable-haired man nodded back slowly and angled his hand to trace the backs of his fingers along Cloud's cheek and jaw.

"It's over," Cloud whispered after a moment, a soft reassurance when Leon made no further move to break contact. He rested one forearm against the taller man's waist in an attempt at a return embrace and pressed their foreheads together. "It really is..."

Leon drew and released a slow, unsteady breath, moving his hand to cradle the back of the blond's head and tightening his fingers into pale golden spikes as if the gesture might keep him close, keep him from ever running away again. "Thank god."


End file.
